What do you think?
Rate this book
The Citadel of Fear
Two adventurers, prospecting for gold in the jungles of Mexico, stumble across a lost Aztec city and cause an ancient evil to be unleashed. An early science fiction masterpiece written by Gertrude Barrows Bennett, writing as Francis Stevens.
Discovering a lost city in the Mexican jungle, two adventurers embark on a terrifying journey. Disturbing ancient gods and nightmare creatures, they find a hidden civilization of Aztecs and bring dark magic into the modern world. With a potent cocktail of romance, revenge and swampish evil this book is one of the earliest examples of fantasy and remains an enthralling read. Gertrude Barrows Bennett, writing as Francis Stevens, is often regarded as the founder of dark fantasy and was admired by H.P. Lovecraft amongst many, with some ranking her alongside Mary Shelley in impact and imaginative power.
FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and fantasy to science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. Each book features a brand new biography and a new glossary of Literary, Gothic and Victorian terms.
Discovering a lost city in the Mexican jungle, two adventurers embark on a terrifying journey. Disturbing ancient gods and nightmare creatures, they find a hidden civilization of Aztecs and bring dark magic into the modern world. With a potent cocktail of romance, revenge and swampish evil this book is one of the earliest examples of fantasy and remains an enthralling read. Gertrude Barrows Bennett, writing as Francis Stevens, is often regarded as the founder of dark fantasy and was admired by H.P. Lovecraft amongst many, with some ranking her alongside Mary Shelley in impact and imaginative power.
FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and fantasy to science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. Each book features a brand new biography and a new glossary of Literary, Gothic and Victorian terms.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1913
26 people are currently reading
823 people want to read
About the author
Francis Stevens
109 books58 followersGertrude Barrows Bennett (1883–1948) was the first major female writer of fantasy and science fiction in the United States, publishing her stories under the pseudonym Francis Stevens. Bennett wrote a number of highly acclaimed fantasies between 1917 and 1923 and has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy." Among her most famous books are Claimed (which H. P. Lovecraft called "One of the strangest and most compelling science fantasy novels you will ever read")[4] and the lost world novel The Citadel of Fear. Bennett also wrote an early dystopian novel, The Heads of Cerberus (1919).
Gertrude Mabel Barrows was born in Minneapolis in 1883. She completed school through the eighth grade, then attended night school in hopes of becoming an illustrator (a goal she never achieved). Instead, she began working as a stenographer, a job she held on and off for the rest of her life. In 1909 Barrows married Stewart Bennett, a British journalist and explorer, and moved to Philadelphia. A year later her husband died while on an expedition. With a new-born daughter to raise, Bennett continued working as a stenographer. When her father died toward the end of World War I, Bennett assumed care for her invalid mother.
During this time period Bennett began to write a number of short stories and novels, only stopping when her mother died in 1920. In the mid 1920s, she moved to California. Because Bennett was estranged from her daughter, for a number of years researchers believed Bennett died in 1939 (the date of her final letter to her daughter). However, new research, including her death certificate, shows that she died in 1948.
Gertrude Mabel Barrows was born in Minneapolis in 1883. She completed school through the eighth grade, then attended night school in hopes of becoming an illustrator (a goal she never achieved). Instead, she began working as a stenographer, a job she held on and off for the rest of her life. In 1909 Barrows married Stewart Bennett, a British journalist and explorer, and moved to Philadelphia. A year later her husband died while on an expedition. With a new-born daughter to raise, Bennett continued working as a stenographer. When her father died toward the end of World War I, Bennett assumed care for her invalid mother.
During this time period Bennett began to write a number of short stories and novels, only stopping when her mother died in 1920. In the mid 1920s, she moved to California. Because Bennett was estranged from her daughter, for a number of years researchers believed Bennett died in 1939 (the date of her final letter to her daughter). However, new research, including her death certificate, shows that she died in 1948.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 29, 2021
"Francis Stevens" was Gertrude Barrows, one of the very few female writers of strange fiction to catch the public's eye in the early 20th century. Kudos, Ms. Barrows!
This was a lot of fun. The author weaves in elements of various genres that I haven't previously seen put together: bold adventures in a lost world, the unknowable forces of weird fiction, Aztec mythology, off-kilter suburban horror, a gothic landscape right outside of that suburbia, and a rather Götterdämmerung-esque scene of gods at battle. Definitely some points awarded for the sheer creativity on display. I didn't love one of the heroines (too submissive) but she redeems herself with a display of forthright bloodthirstiness. The other heroine was great - strong and clever and quite capable of forcing a conservative husband to finally do something active besides get on the phone to complain to the police. And the protagonist is one of those oversized lunks with a brash, naive manner but of course a heart of gold, which is one of my favorite archetypes. Best of all is a key horror set that appears twice, first in a strange forgotten land and then in the outskirts of a bedroom community: a foggy, murky marsh full of horrible beasts that somehow exists indoors. Like in a building and accessed through a doorway! Fascinating imagery.
I see that reviewers have complained about the abrupt shift from King Solomon's Mines type adventures to creeping dread in a middle class environment. I get it, it was pretty damn abrupt. But purposely so. I liked it - the shift made the whole experience all the more disorienting and original.
Here's a picture of Gertrude Bennett:
I love that sneaky smile. She knows something you don't.
UPDATE: according to a recent blog post on Wormwoodiana, the above photo is actually not the author. I love that photo, so that makes me a wee bit sad. However, I have to say that I love the photo included in the Wormwoodiana article of "the real Francis Stevens" just as much:
What is she looking at? Certainly not at you or me or any other insignificant human. Perhaps she has spied a portal between worlds, and the etheric beings floating through that can only be seen by her third eye. Or some such faintly interesting vista.
This was a lot of fun. The author weaves in elements of various genres that I haven't previously seen put together: bold adventures in a lost world, the unknowable forces of weird fiction, Aztec mythology, off-kilter suburban horror, a gothic landscape right outside of that suburbia, and a rather Götterdämmerung-esque scene of gods at battle. Definitely some points awarded for the sheer creativity on display. I didn't love one of the heroines (too submissive) but she redeems herself with a display of forthright bloodthirstiness. The other heroine was great - strong and clever and quite capable of forcing a conservative husband to finally do something active besides get on the phone to complain to the police. And the protagonist is one of those oversized lunks with a brash, naive manner but of course a heart of gold, which is one of my favorite archetypes. Best of all is a key horror set that appears twice, first in a strange forgotten land and then in the outskirts of a bedroom community: a foggy, murky marsh full of horrible beasts that somehow exists indoors. Like in a building and accessed through a doorway! Fascinating imagery.
I see that reviewers have complained about the abrupt shift from King Solomon's Mines type adventures to creeping dread in a middle class environment. I get it, it was pretty damn abrupt. But purposely so. I liked it - the shift made the whole experience all the more disorienting and original.
Here's a picture of Gertrude Bennett:
I love that sneaky smile. She knows something you don't.
UPDATE: according to a recent blog post on Wormwoodiana, the above photo is actually not the author. I love that photo, so that makes me a wee bit sad. However, I have to say that I love the photo included in the Wormwoodiana article of "the real Francis Stevens" just as much:
What is she looking at? Certainly not at you or me or any other insignificant human. Perhaps she has spied a portal between worlds, and the etheric beings floating through that can only be seen by her third eye. Or some such faintly interesting vista.
November 10, 2018
3,5
La verdad es que leer este libro ha sido una de las experiencias más hermosas y gratificantes de la segunda mitad del año. Recuerdo que por estas fechas hace un par de años leí a Abraham Merritt, en concreto “The Moon Pool”. Fue entonces cuando comprendí que estaba indisolublemente unida a la literatura de folletín. A mí desde pequeña me han encantado las películas plagadas de aventuras y humor. Me he criado viendo una y otra vez "Atlantis", "La ruta hacía el dorado", "Los rescatadores", "En busca del valle encantado" y un largo etcétera. Descubrir a las personas que habían allanado el terreno al género cinematográfico a principios del siglo XX marcó un antes y un después en mi vida. No me gusta que la gente a la que le gusta leer fantasía y ciencia ficción esté olvidando a Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Abraham Merritt, Gertrude Barrows, Phillip Francis Nowlan, C. J. Cutcliffe Hyn y muchos que escribieron maravillosos romances científicos (no se calificaba todavía como ciencia ficción estas historias) o precedentes de la fantasía moderna para revistas como "Argosy" o "All Story". Tal vez yo sea la rara aquí, pero no puedo entender cómo una persona que ama a Abercrombie, Sanderson, Sapkowski, Martin y Rothfuss no puede, ya no leerlos, sino sentir un infinito agradecimiento por los trabajos de estas personas. Si la gente conociera a estos autores no divinizaría tanto a los autores de fantasía actual, porque sabrían que estas historias ya tienen unos precedentes que están a la altura de cualquier cosa que se escribe ahora.
“La ciudadela del miedo” es una novela de corte pulp escrita entre 1918 y 1919 por Gertrude Barrows para Argosy. Una novela realmente notable, plagada de escenas maravillosamente entretejidas, con personajes bastante más desarrollados a lo que es habitual en este tipo de historias y con una crítica bastante interesante a ciertos aspectos de la cultura estadounidense. Como dice la falsa cita de H. P. Lovecraft que hay en mi portada, “La ciudadela del miedo” es una alegoría trágica. Pues sí, en concreto de la violencia que ejerce el hombre blanco sobre aquellas cosas que no entiende, en este caso civilizaciones que tacha de “inferiores” a la suya. Este mensaje puede parecer bastante actual, y de hecho lo es. Solo que ahora la verdad incómoda se esconde bajo cientos de revisiones históricas que se han bajado los pantalones a la ideología de turno, revisiones plagadas de pedantería y medias verdades que como buenamente puedo ignoro. Pero en el caso de “La ciudadela del miedo” me parece que se lleva bastante bien el tema. Barrows no condena ni al hombre blanco ni a los indios, es decir, mantiene una postura imparcial (que no NEUTRAL). Y al final es solo un tema entre muchos otros que no deja la sensación de que esto sea un pastiche ideológico. Eso es algo que pega más con estos tiempos, ¿verdad?
La novela está divida en dos partes. La primera es un recorrido de dos buscadores de oro por este mundo de corte fantástico, es decir, es una novela de aventuras al uso. Pero la segunda parte, que acontece 15 años después, hunde sus raíces en el thriller . Abandonamos la fantasía para sumergirnos en una desenfrenada búsqueda por el mundo real de la verdad que se esconde tras hechos a cada cuál más extraño. Por supuesto, “La ciudadela del miedo” está protagonizada por un arquetipo masculino puramente pulp llamado Colin O’Hara. Irlandés de mala uva que le gusta arrear hostias a diestro y siniestro, y que solo teme aquello que está más allá del entendimiento humano. Sin embargo, la autora desarrolla bastantes puntos de la personalidad del personaje, descubriéndonos que tras la violencia hay un tipo con un temperamento dulce y protector. Colin demuestra ser hombre cariñoso y entregado con todas las personas que ama, en este caso Cliona y Anthony Rhodes, su hermana y el marido de su hermana, respectivamente. Por supuesto, no es el único personaje trabajado. Barrows da profundidad a todos los personajes de la historia. Sobre todo, tengo que destacar a las féminas. Cliona no es la esposa apocada y tontita que suelen planear este tipo de historias. Aunque se plantea en un primer momento como una mujer de salud débil, a largo de las casi 300 páginas va cambiado y finalmente tenemos a una mujer comparable en valentía a su hermano Colin, llegando incluso a decirle a su marido que se calle, que deje de joderla porque ella es irlandesa y que le pasen la pistola (no sabéis como disfruté esa parte). La autora también desarrolla incluso a aquellos personajes que solo aparecen una o dos veces. Dos pequeñas pinceladas son suficiente para que pensemos: “vale, no es solo una criada sino una persona”, y no queda forzado porque la autora sabe dónde ha de reforzar la personalidad de estos personajes secundarios. Sin embargo, el personaje menos desarrollado es el que me hubiera gustado ver más en profundidad. El interés amoroso de Colin, su Dama del Crepúsculo, remite mucho en planteamiento a las mujeres pulp de Abraham Merritt. Que en sí no está mal, pero me gustó mucho más la femme fatale que aparece al principio de la historia, la Chica de las Polillas Incendiarias, muy en la línea de Bélit ("Queen of Black Coast"; Robert E. Howard). Pero incluso a la Dama del Crepúsculo la autora le da una vuelta de tuerca, así que no creo que sea decepcionante la resolución de este hilo argumental.
Pero, sin duda, lo que he de destacar por encima de todo son las atmósferas y los elementos fantásticos. A Gertrude Barrows se la considera la madre de la fantasía oscura. A riesgo de que me apedreen diré que es un título que ha de compartir con Abraham Merritt. ¿Por qué? Precisamente yo que he leído a ambos autores puedo deciros que aquí hubo una influencia bidireccional. No sé si mantuvieron correspondencia alguna vez, pero veo harto improbable que no lo hicieran. Gertrude Barrows coge mucho de Merritt, en especial extrae la “phenomena” de atmósferas de manera magistral. Casi da la sensación de que es Merritt quien escribe. Pero los elementos de fantasía oscura los adquirió Merritt de esta autora, sin lugar a dudas. "The Moon Pool" (1917) no tiene muchos elementos de fantasía oscura (los hombres rana y algo de magia) en comparación con historias posteriores de Merritt, que sí tienen algunas apariciones bastante inquietantes llegando incluso a tener un mini Cthulhu en una de sus historias. Por eso digo que el título es compartido y, sinceramente, me parece algo hermoso. ¿Y sabéis sobre todo por qué? Gertrude Barrows se quedó viuda muy pronto, y tuvo que mantener a una hija y a su madre enferma con lo que ganaba en un trabajo de mierda y con el dinero de lo que publicaba en estas revistas. Abraham Merritt tuvo que abandonar la universidad y nunca lo tuvo excesivamente fácil. Ambos eran personas que procedían de entornos humildes, sin formación académica de ningún tipo. Para una persona que se le ocurren historias mientras limpia retretes, que los creadores de la fantasía oscura fueran personas que creaban bajo las mismas condiciones que yo me emociona mucho. Pero lo que más me emociona es que eran personas que jamás buscaron fama ni tenían pretensiones literarias. Sus historias nacen del amor por la literatura y los sueños, del amor más puro que existe. Pero volviendo a los elementos oscuros, la verdad es que he de advertir que en “La ciudadela del miedo” no pueblan toda la historia, pero siguen generando asco e inquietud, que es lo importante. Y algo interesante es que acaban integrados en un mundo realista, como el Mono Blanco y el Guardabarrera.
Sé que seguramente nadie leerá este libro por mi reseña porque no está de moda y además es complicado de encontrar, pero en el caso de que se produzca ese milagro y alguien decida hacerlo encontrará una historia bastante divertida, con sus puntos oscuros y un claro precedente de las sociedades masónicas dedicadas a cultos paganos ominosos de Lovecraft and Company.
Una maravilla de la literatura escrita por una de las mujeres más impresionantes de todos los tiempos.
La verdad es que leer este libro ha sido una de las experiencias más hermosas y gratificantes de la segunda mitad del año. Recuerdo que por estas fechas hace un par de años leí a Abraham Merritt, en concreto “The Moon Pool”. Fue entonces cuando comprendí que estaba indisolublemente unida a la literatura de folletín. A mí desde pequeña me han encantado las películas plagadas de aventuras y humor. Me he criado viendo una y otra vez "Atlantis", "La ruta hacía el dorado", "Los rescatadores", "En busca del valle encantado" y un largo etcétera. Descubrir a las personas que habían allanado el terreno al género cinematográfico a principios del siglo XX marcó un antes y un después en mi vida. No me gusta que la gente a la que le gusta leer fantasía y ciencia ficción esté olvidando a Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Abraham Merritt, Gertrude Barrows, Phillip Francis Nowlan, C. J. Cutcliffe Hyn y muchos que escribieron maravillosos romances científicos (no se calificaba todavía como ciencia ficción estas historias) o precedentes de la fantasía moderna para revistas como "Argosy" o "All Story". Tal vez yo sea la rara aquí, pero no puedo entender cómo una persona que ama a Abercrombie, Sanderson, Sapkowski, Martin y Rothfuss no puede, ya no leerlos, sino sentir un infinito agradecimiento por los trabajos de estas personas. Si la gente conociera a estos autores no divinizaría tanto a los autores de fantasía actual, porque sabrían que estas historias ya tienen unos precedentes que están a la altura de cualquier cosa que se escribe ahora.
“La ciudadela del miedo” es una novela de corte pulp escrita entre 1918 y 1919 por Gertrude Barrows para Argosy. Una novela realmente notable, plagada de escenas maravillosamente entretejidas, con personajes bastante más desarrollados a lo que es habitual en este tipo de historias y con una crítica bastante interesante a ciertos aspectos de la cultura estadounidense. Como dice la falsa cita de H. P. Lovecraft que hay en mi portada, “La ciudadela del miedo” es una alegoría trágica. Pues sí, en concreto de la violencia que ejerce el hombre blanco sobre aquellas cosas que no entiende, en este caso civilizaciones que tacha de “inferiores” a la suya. Este mensaje puede parecer bastante actual, y de hecho lo es. Solo que ahora la verdad incómoda se esconde bajo cientos de revisiones históricas que se han bajado los pantalones a la ideología de turno, revisiones plagadas de pedantería y medias verdades que como buenamente puedo ignoro. Pero en el caso de “La ciudadela del miedo” me parece que se lleva bastante bien el tema. Barrows no condena ni al hombre blanco ni a los indios, es decir, mantiene una postura imparcial (que no NEUTRAL). Y al final es solo un tema entre muchos otros que no deja la sensación de que esto sea un pastiche ideológico. Eso es algo que pega más con estos tiempos, ¿verdad?
La novela está divida en dos partes. La primera es un recorrido de dos buscadores de oro por este mundo de corte fantástico, es decir, es una novela de aventuras al uso. Pero la segunda parte, que acontece 15 años después, hunde sus raíces en el thriller . Abandonamos la fantasía para sumergirnos en una desenfrenada búsqueda por el mundo real de la verdad que se esconde tras hechos a cada cuál más extraño. Por supuesto, “La ciudadela del miedo” está protagonizada por un arquetipo masculino puramente pulp llamado Colin O’Hara. Irlandés de mala uva que le gusta arrear hostias a diestro y siniestro, y que solo teme aquello que está más allá del entendimiento humano. Sin embargo, la autora desarrolla bastantes puntos de la personalidad del personaje, descubriéndonos que tras la violencia hay un tipo con un temperamento dulce y protector. Colin demuestra ser hombre cariñoso y entregado con todas las personas que ama, en este caso Cliona y Anthony Rhodes, su hermana y el marido de su hermana, respectivamente. Por supuesto, no es el único personaje trabajado. Barrows da profundidad a todos los personajes de la historia. Sobre todo, tengo que destacar a las féminas. Cliona no es la esposa apocada y tontita que suelen planear este tipo de historias. Aunque se plantea en un primer momento como una mujer de salud débil, a largo de las casi 300 páginas va cambiado y finalmente tenemos a una mujer comparable en valentía a su hermano Colin, llegando incluso a decirle a su marido que se calle, que deje de joderla porque ella es irlandesa y que le pasen la pistola (no sabéis como disfruté esa parte). La autora también desarrolla incluso a aquellos personajes que solo aparecen una o dos veces. Dos pequeñas pinceladas son suficiente para que pensemos: “vale, no es solo una criada sino una persona”, y no queda forzado porque la autora sabe dónde ha de reforzar la personalidad de estos personajes secundarios. Sin embargo, el personaje menos desarrollado es el que me hubiera gustado ver más en profundidad. El interés amoroso de Colin, su Dama del Crepúsculo, remite mucho en planteamiento a las mujeres pulp de Abraham Merritt. Que en sí no está mal, pero me gustó mucho más la femme fatale que aparece al principio de la historia, la Chica de las Polillas Incendiarias, muy en la línea de Bélit ("Queen of Black Coast"; Robert E. Howard). Pero incluso a la Dama del Crepúsculo la autora le da una vuelta de tuerca, así que no creo que sea decepcionante la resolución de este hilo argumental.
Pero, sin duda, lo que he de destacar por encima de todo son las atmósferas y los elementos fantásticos. A Gertrude Barrows se la considera la madre de la fantasía oscura. A riesgo de que me apedreen diré que es un título que ha de compartir con Abraham Merritt. ¿Por qué? Precisamente yo que he leído a ambos autores puedo deciros que aquí hubo una influencia bidireccional. No sé si mantuvieron correspondencia alguna vez, pero veo harto improbable que no lo hicieran. Gertrude Barrows coge mucho de Merritt, en especial extrae la “phenomena” de atmósferas de manera magistral. Casi da la sensación de que es Merritt quien escribe. Pero los elementos de fantasía oscura los adquirió Merritt de esta autora, sin lugar a dudas. "The Moon Pool" (1917) no tiene muchos elementos de fantasía oscura (los hombres rana y algo de magia) en comparación con historias posteriores de Merritt, que sí tienen algunas apariciones bastante inquietantes llegando incluso a tener un mini Cthulhu en una de sus historias. Por eso digo que el título es compartido y, sinceramente, me parece algo hermoso. ¿Y sabéis sobre todo por qué? Gertrude Barrows se quedó viuda muy pronto, y tuvo que mantener a una hija y a su madre enferma con lo que ganaba en un trabajo de mierda y con el dinero de lo que publicaba en estas revistas. Abraham Merritt tuvo que abandonar la universidad y nunca lo tuvo excesivamente fácil. Ambos eran personas que procedían de entornos humildes, sin formación académica de ningún tipo. Para una persona que se le ocurren historias mientras limpia retretes, que los creadores de la fantasía oscura fueran personas que creaban bajo las mismas condiciones que yo me emociona mucho. Pero lo que más me emociona es que eran personas que jamás buscaron fama ni tenían pretensiones literarias. Sus historias nacen del amor por la literatura y los sueños, del amor más puro que existe. Pero volviendo a los elementos oscuros, la verdad es que he de advertir que en “La ciudadela del miedo” no pueblan toda la historia, pero siguen generando asco e inquietud, que es lo importante. Y algo interesante es que acaban integrados en un mundo realista, como el Mono Blanco y el Guardabarrera.
Sé que seguramente nadie leerá este libro por mi reseña porque no está de moda y además es complicado de encontrar, pero en el caso de que se produzca ese milagro y alguien decida hacerlo encontrará una historia bastante divertida, con sus puntos oscuros y un claro precedente de las sociedades masónicas dedicadas a cultos paganos ominosos de Lovecraft and Company.
Una maravilla de la literatura escrita por una de las mujeres más impresionantes de todos los tiempos.
September 24, 2017
I read this novel for the SFF Audio podcast, and enjoyed it very much.
Citadel of Fear is a fun pulp novel from 1918, an adventure based on Aztec mythology and Irish-American adventures. As a pulp, it has many scenes of action and high pitched excitement, starting with the two main characters nearly dying in a Mexican desert. From there, we leap into a forgotten city of magic and/or super-science. Around one third of the way in "Francis Stevens" (pen name for Gertrude Barrows Bennett) suddenly yanks the action a thousand miles away and years hence, setting up a domestic story with building menace. Then the finale ties most of it all together with a spectacular battle.
I don't want to say much more because of spoilers.
As a read, Citadel of Fear offers many attractions, especially for anyone familiar with early 20th-century pulp fiction. There are weird creatures, strange vistas, fighting and escapes, a heroic hero, a mysterious heroine, some period humor, and supernatural forces at work.
I was struck by how the hero and other characters are Irish, and how that's simply a good thing. Pretty unusual for 1918, when many Americans dreaded non-Anglo-Saxon immigration.
I also enjoyed uncovering part of genre history. Bennett is someone I've been meaning to read, and look forward to reading more of.
Citadel of Fear is a fun pulp novel from 1918, an adventure based on Aztec mythology and Irish-American adventures. As a pulp, it has many scenes of action and high pitched excitement, starting with the two main characters nearly dying in a Mexican desert. From there, we leap into a forgotten city of magic and/or super-science. Around one third of the way in "Francis Stevens" (pen name for Gertrude Barrows Bennett) suddenly yanks the action a thousand miles away and years hence, setting up a domestic story with building menace. Then the finale ties most of it all together with a spectacular battle.
I don't want to say much more because of spoilers.
As a read, Citadel of Fear offers many attractions, especially for anyone familiar with early 20th-century pulp fiction. There are weird creatures, strange vistas, fighting and escapes, a heroic hero, a mysterious heroine, some period humor, and supernatural forces at work.
I was struck by how the hero and other characters are Irish, and how that's simply a good thing. Pretty unusual for 1918, when many Americans dreaded non-Anglo-Saxon immigration.
I also enjoyed uncovering part of genre history. Bennett is someone I've been meaning to read, and look forward to reading more of.
August 22, 2011
The name of Francis Stevens may be little known today, but from 1916-1920, she was very well known to the readers of such magazines as "The Argosy" and "All-Story Weekly," and had fans that included H.P. Lovecraft and A. Merritt. In the introduction to the 1970 Paperback Library edition, Sam Moscowitz refers to her as "the most gifted woman writer of science fiction and science-fantasy between Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and C.L. Moore." Pretty high praise indeed, but having read what is considered to be Stevens' masterpiece, "The Citadel of Fear," one will be tempted to agree with this assessment. This novel originally appeared in "The Argosy" between September and October of 1918, and is as exciting and fascinating a read as any modern-day reader could hope for.
It tells the tale of an Irishman and an American who come upon the lost Aztec city of Tlapallan, in the wilds of Mexico. After witnessing many fantastic sights there, the Irishman is kicked out for inadvertently stirring up a civil war, and the American is held prisoner. Flash forward 15 years. At the home of the Irishman's sister, a rampaging monster trashes the house one night, and that is only the beginning of one incredibly wild ride. I don't want to give too much away here, and spoil the book's many breathtaking surprises, but let me just say that by the novel's incredibly hallucinatory conclusion, we have been treated to a whole slew of nightmare creatures, battling Aztec gods, indoor swamps and on and on. Ms. Stevens sure did have one active imagination, AND the technical prowess to make her wildest plot devices come alive and seem plausible. The book is beautifully written, despite an occasional dangling modifier here and there, and there is no way that any reader will be able to guess what lies next in this amazing tale. What a shame that this package of wonders has been out of print for the last 30 years or so, in addition to all of Ms. Stevens' other work. Having read "Citadel," I would love to read some of Francis Stevens' other tales. So will you.
It tells the tale of an Irishman and an American who come upon the lost Aztec city of Tlapallan, in the wilds of Mexico. After witnessing many fantastic sights there, the Irishman is kicked out for inadvertently stirring up a civil war, and the American is held prisoner. Flash forward 15 years. At the home of the Irishman's sister, a rampaging monster trashes the house one night, and that is only the beginning of one incredibly wild ride. I don't want to give too much away here, and spoil the book's many breathtaking surprises, but let me just say that by the novel's incredibly hallucinatory conclusion, we have been treated to a whole slew of nightmare creatures, battling Aztec gods, indoor swamps and on and on. Ms. Stevens sure did have one active imagination, AND the technical prowess to make her wildest plot devices come alive and seem plausible. The book is beautifully written, despite an occasional dangling modifier here and there, and there is no way that any reader will be able to guess what lies next in this amazing tale. What a shame that this package of wonders has been out of print for the last 30 years or so, in addition to all of Ms. Stevens' other work. Having read "Citadel," I would love to read some of Francis Stevens' other tales. So will you.
Read
March 16, 2019Very significant fantasy from 1918, serialized in Argosy.
I actually bought this for my boyfriend for his birthday, because it was described as Lovecraftian Fantasy, and he loves that stuff. He read it and said I should read it, and I tried. I can't take fantasy.
The cool cover shown here is from when this was printed in 1970.
I actually bought this for my boyfriend for his birthday, because it was described as Lovecraftian Fantasy, and he loves that stuff. He read it and said I should read it, and I tried. I can't take fantasy.
The cool cover shown here is from when this was printed in 1970.
January 4, 2021
Rereading. This time on the Kindle.
====
Halloween is coming and I've got my annual load of catalog work, which means it's time for weird tales and audiobooks. This is narrated by Mark Nelson and available free at Librivox.
This is a very enjoyable combination of lost world, Lovecraftian monsters, H.G. Wells, and (of course!) a romance. I especially liked the fact that the people who believe the supernatural reality the fastest are Irish. They are used to their Celtic gods and tales, natch!
I like this summary better as it is what drew me into the book.
====
Halloween is coming and I've got my annual load of catalog work, which means it's time for weird tales and audiobooks. This is narrated by Mark Nelson and available free at Librivox.
This is a very enjoyable combination of lost world, Lovecraftian monsters, H.G. Wells, and (of course!) a romance. I especially liked the fact that the people who believe the supernatural reality the fastest are Irish. They are used to their Celtic gods and tales, natch!
I like this summary better as it is what drew me into the book.
Gertrude Barrows Bennett was the first major female writer of fantasy and science fiction in the United States, publishing her stories under the pseudonym Francis Stevens. Bennett wrote a number of highly acclaimed fantasies between 1917 and 1923 and has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy". Citadel of Fear is considered Francis Stevens' masterpiece, by Lovecraft's acclaim. Two adventurers discover a lost city in the Mexican jungle. One is taken over by an evil god while the other falls in love with a woman from the ancient Mexican city of Tlapallan. Citadel of Fear was first published as a serial in Argosy Magazine in 1918-1919. It was eventually republished as a novel in 1970. It is now considered a "lost classic". (Summary by Wikipedia and Mark Nelson)
October 29, 2024
Gertrude Barrows Bennett (Minneapolis, 18 settembre 1883 – San Francisco, 2 febbraio 1948) viene considerata colei che ha inventato il genera Dark Fantasy e le sue opere sono state pubblicate principalmente sulla rivista Argosy (sotto lo pseudonimo di Francis Stevens). Il romanzo Il Signore della Paura, riscoperto dalla casa editrice Black Dog, è stato originariamente pubblicato a puntate sulla rivista sopra menzionata diviso in sette parti, dal 14 Settembre al 26 Ottobre 1918 e successivamente ristampato in unico volume nel 1942.
Il Signore della Paura: tra pulp, archeologia e horror
"The Citadel of Fear" è un’opera che mescola con abilità diversi generi letterari, tra cui il fantasy, l’horror e la fantascienza, amalgamandoli tutti con una potente miscela di mistero e pulp.
Senza fare troppi spoiler, la storia ruota attorno ad unico personaggio principale, Colin "Boots" O'Hara, attorniato da una serie di personaggi secondari che comunque hanno, nell'arco della storia, ruoli fondamentali.
Il protagonista, con il suo compagno di viaggio Archer Kennedy, si inoltra in una zona di "colline maledette" del Messico, credendola disabitata, ma potenzialmente piena di vene aurifere. Una volta arrivati però trovano una bella hacienda, oltre la quale scoprono che una città Azteca è sopravvissuta intatta e abitata fino al XX secolo, isolata e nascosta al mondo. In questa città, Tlapallan, il culto del dio dell'aria Quetzalcoatl si scontra con quello del dio nero Nacoc-Yaotl e vengono gettate le basi per la seconda parte dell'avventura. Con un salto temporale di 15 anni, ci spostiamo negli USA dove la sorella di Colin viene attaccata da una bestia misteriosa...
Atmosfera e Stile
Lo stile dell'autrice è semplice e lineare, ma quello in cui eccelle è creare la giusta dose di mistero e aggiungere la suspense, palpabile in ogni pagina, per fare in modo che il lettore si trovi incollato alle pagine fino all'ultima parola. Pensando che originariamente il romanzo venne pubblicato a puntate è ben chiaro lo scopo di creare cliffhanger che costringessero il lettore ad acquistare il numero successivo della rivista (e per fortuna noi abbiamo il testo integrale).
Anche i personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e complessi. Concentrandoci sulla prima parte del romanzo vediamo Colin e Kennedy come figure che, sebbene distinte, si trovano legate da una curiosità comune. Entrambi sono motivati ad esplorare Tlapallan, ma da desideri diversi: il loro rapporto ambivalente è centrale nella trama e attraverso le loro interazioni Bennett esplora le tensioni morali tra etica e desiderio di potere. Tuttavia, sebbene ben caratterizzati, alcuni lettori moderni potrebbero trovarli un po' archetipici, più simbolici che realistici, rispecchiando il gusto tipico della narrativa dell’epoca.
Influenze e Impatto
Il Signore della Paura è spesso considerato un precursore di molti temi e tecniche che si ritroveranno poi nella letteratura weird del XX secolo, influenzando autori come H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith e successivamente Stephen King. Grazie a Black Dog Edizioni abbiamo riscoperto un gioiello del proto-fantasy e horror gotico il quale rappresenta uno dei primi romanzi esploratori del potenziale orrorifico dell'archeologia e delle civiltà perdute.
Un plauso particolare all'edizione italiana, illustrata da Sara Crotti con numerosissime tavole molto suggestive.
CONSIGLIATO se ti piacciono le avventure e il mistero
NON CONSIGLIATO se non ti piace la letteratura d’epoca
COSA MI È PIACIUTO
- Trama misteriosa
- Suspense, azione, pulp
- Intrigante
- Edizione illustrata
COSA NON MI È PIACIUTO
- Forse troppo lungo
- Il cattivo che fa lo spiegone finale
Il Signore della Paura: tra pulp, archeologia e horror
"The Citadel of Fear" è un’opera che mescola con abilità diversi generi letterari, tra cui il fantasy, l’horror e la fantascienza, amalgamandoli tutti con una potente miscela di mistero e pulp.
Senza fare troppi spoiler, la storia ruota attorno ad unico personaggio principale, Colin "Boots" O'Hara, attorniato da una serie di personaggi secondari che comunque hanno, nell'arco della storia, ruoli fondamentali.
Il protagonista, con il suo compagno di viaggio Archer Kennedy, si inoltra in una zona di "colline maledette" del Messico, credendola disabitata, ma potenzialmente piena di vene aurifere. Una volta arrivati però trovano una bella hacienda, oltre la quale scoprono che una città Azteca è sopravvissuta intatta e abitata fino al XX secolo, isolata e nascosta al mondo. In questa città, Tlapallan, il culto del dio dell'aria Quetzalcoatl si scontra con quello del dio nero Nacoc-Yaotl e vengono gettate le basi per la seconda parte dell'avventura. Con un salto temporale di 15 anni, ci spostiamo negli USA dove la sorella di Colin viene attaccata da una bestia misteriosa...
Atmosfera e Stile
Lo stile dell'autrice è semplice e lineare, ma quello in cui eccelle è creare la giusta dose di mistero e aggiungere la suspense, palpabile in ogni pagina, per fare in modo che il lettore si trovi incollato alle pagine fino all'ultima parola. Pensando che originariamente il romanzo venne pubblicato a puntate è ben chiaro lo scopo di creare cliffhanger che costringessero il lettore ad acquistare il numero successivo della rivista (e per fortuna noi abbiamo il testo integrale).
Anche i personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e complessi. Concentrandoci sulla prima parte del romanzo vediamo Colin e Kennedy come figure che, sebbene distinte, si trovano legate da una curiosità comune. Entrambi sono motivati ad esplorare Tlapallan, ma da desideri diversi: il loro rapporto ambivalente è centrale nella trama e attraverso le loro interazioni Bennett esplora le tensioni morali tra etica e desiderio di potere. Tuttavia, sebbene ben caratterizzati, alcuni lettori moderni potrebbero trovarli un po' archetipici, più simbolici che realistici, rispecchiando il gusto tipico della narrativa dell’epoca.
Influenze e Impatto
Il Signore della Paura è spesso considerato un precursore di molti temi e tecniche che si ritroveranno poi nella letteratura weird del XX secolo, influenzando autori come H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith e successivamente Stephen King. Grazie a Black Dog Edizioni abbiamo riscoperto un gioiello del proto-fantasy e horror gotico il quale rappresenta uno dei primi romanzi esploratori del potenziale orrorifico dell'archeologia e delle civiltà perdute.
Un plauso particolare all'edizione italiana, illustrata da Sara Crotti con numerosissime tavole molto suggestive.
CONSIGLIATO se ti piacciono le avventure e il mistero
NON CONSIGLIATO se non ti piace la letteratura d’epoca
COSA MI È PIACIUTO
- Trama misteriosa
- Suspense, azione, pulp
- Intrigante
- Edizione illustrata
COSA NON MI È PIACIUTO
- Forse troppo lungo
- Il cattivo che fa lo spiegone finale
May 8, 2025
April 2025 - narrated by Mark Nelson for LibriVox
One of the fun things about older literature is that the traditional genre lines were not yet clearly defined, leading to fascinating genre combinations. And boy, was this book a mixed bag. It began reminiscent of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, then turned into a sci.fi. thriller, and ended like a romantic The Island of Dr. Moreau. Well, that's not really accurate, since it's actually but I can't think of a good literary comparison for the ending other than the chaos of Dr. Moreau's island as it reverted back to nature. Love it or hate it, this novel is an interesting ride.
One of the fun things about older literature is that the traditional genre lines were not yet clearly defined, leading to fascinating genre combinations. And boy, was this book a mixed bag. It began reminiscent of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, then turned into a sci.fi. thriller, and ended like a romantic The Island of Dr. Moreau. Well, that's not really accurate, since it's actually but I can't think of a good literary comparison for the ending other than the chaos of Dr. Moreau's island as it reverted back to nature. Love it or hate it, this novel is an interesting ride.
August 19, 2020
What a fine old novel this is. Perhaps closer to William Hope Hodgson than HP Lovecraft, with more than a dash of A Merritt, and more lucidly written than any of them. The focus isn't horror, but it does certainly feature with descriptions of protoplasmic jellies and the poor creatures they transform from (as well as the monstrous creatures they transform into), and dark Mexican gods. Adventure is the focus, with a definite Indiana Jones vibe (though, as was for some reason popular yesteryear, the hero is Irish, big, and foolhardy), lost cities upon glowing lakes, lots of gold and jewels, gunfights, intelligent apes, giant snakes, beautiful people, desires for world domination.
A swift, exciting read by an author Lovecraft himself professed a lot of admiration for. Excellent artwork by Steel Savage on my copy to (not to mention an excellent artist's name).
A swift, exciting read by an author Lovecraft himself professed a lot of admiration for. Excellent artwork by Steel Savage on my copy to (not to mention an excellent artist's name).
May 11, 2017
"La ciudadela del miedo" es un relato eminéntemente "pulp", por tanto, tiene una dosis de entretenimiento muy abundante. Publicado por entregas en 1918 en la revista "Argosy", nos relata la historia de dos aventureros que dan con una perdida ciudad azteca, donde descubren un secreto que casi les cuesta la vida, y que tendrá terribles consecuencias en el futuro. En ella, se nos describe de un modo bastante insólito, una mescolanza de divinidades aztecas y celtas y de eventos aterrorizadores, que a la postre, desembocan en una batalla del bien contra el mal donde intervienen fuerzas cósmicas más allá de toda comprensión. Lovecraft opinó acerca de la novela "Una alegoría trágica y maravillosa, asombrosa y estremecedora", y bueno, aunque no es un relato que se inscriba dentro de los que ofreció el Círculo de Lovecraft, cuenta con todos los elementos para poder haberlo sido: hay ciudades desoladas donde, de algún modo, sobrevivió un conocimiento antiquísimo capaz de llevar a la humanidad a su extinción; es la ciencia, no la magia, el elemento que se utiliza en las transmutaciones mágicas que en apariencia se llevan a cabo; al menos uno de sus protagonistas es una persona enfocada en el acumulamiento de saber, etc. Además, hay otros elementos que lo pueden ligar con Lovecraft, como por ejemplo, una parte en la que se nos describe una sección de la trama a través de la declaración de un tercero, sótanos tenebrosos que ocultan secretos mórbidos, etcétera.
Vaya, no digo que sea tan buena como alguno de los mejores relatos de Lovecraft, pero si se quiere leer tan sólo por buscar los puntos de concordancia que tiene con ellos, la verdad vale la pena, aunque eso si, hay que soportar los convencionalismos que exigía la literatura más convencional el estilo. Como sea es muy interesante el hecho de que se recurra en forma prominente a la mitología azteca y no a otras fuentes milenarias del mal. Eso si, para la época en la que fue escrito, es bastante original.
Recomendable para seguidores de Lovecraft, básicamente.
Vaya, no digo que sea tan buena como alguno de los mejores relatos de Lovecraft, pero si se quiere leer tan sólo por buscar los puntos de concordancia que tiene con ellos, la verdad vale la pena, aunque eso si, hay que soportar los convencionalismos que exigía la literatura más convencional el estilo. Como sea es muy interesante el hecho de que se recurra en forma prominente a la mitología azteca y no a otras fuentes milenarias del mal. Eso si, para la época en la que fue escrito, es bastante original.
Recomendable para seguidores de Lovecraft, básicamente.
November 12, 2023
In questa storia troverete una misteriosa civiltà nascosta nelle più profonde giugle messicane e antiche divinità (o mostruosità) celate nell'oscurità. Un protagonista quasi come un "gigante dal cuore buono" che assieme alla sorella e al cognato ne passeranno di tutti i colori a contrastare le forze del male, sotto forma di strani animali dotati di peculiare intelligenza e una casa oscura, al di sotto della quale si celano le più profonde paure governate da un "signore".
Nella mia grande ignoranza non ero assolutamente a conoscenza di questa autrice, vissuta ad inizio '900 e considerata una delle fondatrici del genere dark fantasy.
Sono rimasta a dir poco stupita dall'intreccio, veramente intrigante, cupo, misterioso e adrenalinico. Insomma un racconto degno del genere dark e perfetto per il periodo spooky. Non mi aspettavo di rimanere catturata dalle pagine è dalla storia, l'ho trovato molto simile come vibes ai racconti lovecraftiani. Mi sono piaciuti i personaggi, li ho trovati abbastanza ben caratterizzati, anche se è palese che l'autrice si era voluta soffermare maggiormente sulle vibes e le ambientazioni piuttosto che sul loro approfondimento. In particolare mi è piaciuta tanto la sorella del protagonista: determinata e devota alla famiglia farebbe di tutto per il bene del fratello e del marito. (Vorrei essere sua amica).
Ho inteso i primi capitoli del romanzo come una grande introduzione che getta le fondamenta per quella che sarà la vera storia, infatti questa prima parte personalmente è stata meno entusiasmante per poi risollevarsi con il fatto (espediente narrativo che solitamente odio ma che in questo caso l'ho amato poiché è stato troppo calzante)
Per finire ogni tanto alcune sequenze mi sono risultate un po' pesanti a livello di scrittura e piuttosto confusionarie soprattutto per quanto riguarda I combattimenti.come ultimo appunto segnalo la non presenza di separatori di scena (non so se voluto o non) che hanno reso difficoltosa da parte mia il cambio scena.
Nella mia grande ignoranza non ero assolutamente a conoscenza di questa autrice, vissuta ad inizio '900 e considerata una delle fondatrici del genere dark fantasy.
Sono rimasta a dir poco stupita dall'intreccio, veramente intrigante, cupo, misterioso e adrenalinico. Insomma un racconto degno del genere dark e perfetto per il periodo spooky. Non mi aspettavo di rimanere catturata dalle pagine è dalla storia, l'ho trovato molto simile come vibes ai racconti lovecraftiani. Mi sono piaciuti i personaggi, li ho trovati abbastanza ben caratterizzati, anche se è palese che l'autrice si era voluta soffermare maggiormente sulle vibes e le ambientazioni piuttosto che sul loro approfondimento. In particolare mi è piaciuta tanto la sorella del protagonista: determinata e devota alla famiglia farebbe di tutto per il bene del fratello e del marito. (Vorrei essere sua amica).
Ho inteso i primi capitoli del romanzo come una grande introduzione che getta le fondamenta per quella che sarà la vera storia, infatti questa prima parte personalmente è stata meno entusiasmante per poi risollevarsi con il fatto (espediente narrativo che solitamente odio ma che in questo caso l'ho amato poiché è stato troppo calzante)
Per finire ogni tanto alcune sequenze mi sono risultate un po' pesanti a livello di scrittura e piuttosto confusionarie soprattutto per quanto riguarda I combattimenti.come ultimo appunto segnalo la non presenza di separatori di scena (non so se voluto o non) che hanno reso difficoltosa da parte mia il cambio scena.
March 29, 2018
Gertrude Barrows Bennett, who wrote as Francis Stevens, was America's first major female author of speculative fiction and was praised by her contemporary, H.P. Lovecraft. Sadly, "the woman who invented dark fantasy" is today largely forgotten outside of niche circles and this novel, Citadel of Fear (serialized in Argosy Magazine from 1918-19) is considered a lost classic. Indeed, while the tropes of lost eons, malevolent gods, and unspeakable abominations are familiar to anyone who enjoys weird fiction, Bennett's writing is suffused with a kind of hallucinatory gloom that makes even the most mundane scenes feel slightly off-kilter. The story shifts radically from a surreal Aztec city to an ordinary American suburb, yet the madness of the former is still there, lurking, and finally bursting forth in a wild, dreamlike conclusion. The "transmutation" horror also recalls some of Arthur Machen's Little People stories.
The female characters are surprisingly standard for this era, however. One woman naturally faints when confronted by danger and spends the next several weeks as an invalid from the shock. The protagonist's love interest, meanwhile, is annoyingly submissive.
The female characters are surprisingly standard for this era, however. One woman naturally faints when confronted by danger and spends the next several weeks as an invalid from the shock. The protagonist's love interest, meanwhile, is annoyingly submissive.
January 12, 2016
I could't get into this book. There was just too much of a story stretched out over too long of a time frame that it never really got to the point where anything on interest happened.
The booked started out in Mexico with a thrilling discovery of a lost city. The reader is then transported years later back to America with our main character where a string of events are laboriously stretched out.
There are much better pulp fiction or early sci-fi/fantasy books to explore.
The booked started out in Mexico with a thrilling discovery of a lost city. The reader is then transported years later back to America with our main character where a string of events are laboriously stretched out.
There are much better pulp fiction or early sci-fi/fantasy books to explore.
August 3, 2016
Vintage and strange. Stevens was the first American female author to find significant success and respect within the fields of SF and fantasy. This is considered by many to be her masterpiece, and concerns an adventurer's attempts at escaping the physical manifestations of Aztec mythology that follow him home from Mexico. Hailing from 1918, it's exciting, not overly pulpy, and strengthened by some eerie and effective imagery.
June 24, 2022
Citadel of Fear is like a theme park - there are a couple of crazy moments with long waits between them. It’s obviously tricky to judge serialized pulp from the 1920s by today’s standards, but the middle of this thing just really slogs.
May 26, 2018
Citadel of Fear is a novel from the World War I era, which may have been good for the time that it was written, but doesn’t particularly hold up today. It fails in more area than it succeeds. The novel starts off with an Irishman in America finding a lost Aztec city. There are shady goings on involving Aztec gods and an escape from the place where he is being held in captivity. The novel then has a jarring and abrupt shift into the future and eventually ties back into the lost city from the beginning of the novel.
Despite the title, there is nothing especially horrific happening in this story. I found the horror elements to be rather ho-hum, and the characterization to be fairly weak. The shift from past to present was so abrupt that it almost seemed as if I were reading an entirely different story. The climax of the novel is told in summary form rather than shown to the reader and it really falls flat. It’s often difficult to judge stories written in a different era. What may have worked then may no longer work today. I don’t know if this would have been scary or captivating to a reader from nearly a century ago, but it doesn’t stand the test of time.
Carl Alves – author of Battle of the Soul
Despite the title, there is nothing especially horrific happening in this story. I found the horror elements to be rather ho-hum, and the characterization to be fairly weak. The shift from past to present was so abrupt that it almost seemed as if I were reading an entirely different story. The climax of the novel is told in summary form rather than shown to the reader and it really falls flat. It’s often difficult to judge stories written in a different era. What may have worked then may no longer work today. I don’t know if this would have been scary or captivating to a reader from nearly a century ago, but it doesn’t stand the test of time.
Carl Alves – author of Battle of the Soul
February 3, 2021
Remarkable because it was written over 100 years ago and by a woman author - it's disappointing to see that Goodreads / Amazon still use her masculine Nom de Plume, which I presume was adopted because in those days "ladies just didn't write" this kind of swashbuckling yarn full of heroes, mad men, monsters and lost worlds. It reminded me a lot of the kind of Gung-ho adventure fantasy stories we are now used to through Indiana Jones films and the like - in fact I wondered several times if it had perhaps inspired those.
Probably because we've been spoiled by so many lost world novels since this was written, I found this one a bit less than impressive in plot, characters and climax. Unfair though to use modern expectations to judge one of the first of its kind. It was enjoyable and inventive and I did wonder how Gertrude Barrows' friends and family viewed her rich imagination and obvious fascination with evil and its creations. It's still very readable today and it's not always easy to accept it was written in a very different age.
Probably because we've been spoiled by so many lost world novels since this was written, I found this one a bit less than impressive in plot, characters and climax. Unfair though to use modern expectations to judge one of the first of its kind. It was enjoyable and inventive and I did wonder how Gertrude Barrows' friends and family viewed her rich imagination and obvious fascination with evil and its creations. It's still very readable today and it's not always easy to accept it was written in a very different age.
November 30, 2022
Citadel of Fear has a place in plup fiction/science fiction as a foundation piece, but is a labor to read. I loved the first third-ish of the book, but caught by surprise when the novel shift 15 years in the future and seems to leave the wonderful elements of adventure behind. After the time jump, things are just.....strange. For the time it was written, Citadel of Fear is not a bad read.
There are a few of notable things about this novel, here are two I can share without spoilers. More so because it was published in 1918!
1. Accurate references to Aztec mythology
2. Irish main character
3. Complex plot
Be warned, it is hard to find an e-book copy that is the complete novel. There are a few versions online for free, but I ended up getting an audiobook from my local library.
There are a few of notable things about this novel, here are two I can share without spoilers. More so because it was published in 1918!
1. Accurate references to Aztec mythology
2. Irish main character
3. Complex plot
Be warned, it is hard to find an e-book copy that is the complete novel. There are a few versions online for free, but I ended up getting an audiobook from my local library.
November 26, 2024
Historically important, but if you read for enjoyment, you might want to give it a pass. For such a short book it took a long time for anything to happen. Such a slow burn is often for "building atmosphere" but I find it boring. This is probably a me problem, since I've never found atmospheric stories to be particularly atmospheric or interesting.
The supernatural elements of the story were sort of Scooby Doo explained away, but the main characters experienced weird magical phenomenon and didn't bat and eye (and didn't seem particularly changed by the experience either).
Once again this is a case of something that was ground-breaking in its time, that pales compared to what newer works that others have built - stronger and better - on the foundation created by others.
The supernatural elements of the story were sort of Scooby Doo explained away, but the main characters experienced weird magical phenomenon and didn't bat and eye (and didn't seem particularly changed by the experience either).
Once again this is a case of something that was ground-breaking in its time, that pales compared to what newer works that others have built - stronger and better - on the foundation created by others.
April 26, 2022
So much fun. A pulpy horror story that 100% inspired H.P. Lovecraft. We've got a cult worshipping demon, we've got indescribable monsters, we've got a man lusting for power and willing to do anything to get it, we've got goo that melts people. All of this and a tough irishman (described this way in the book) that can take on an ape with barely a scratch!
Definitely something I wish would get some attention, super cool to have a female horror author writing this in the 1910's.
If you are up for some pulp horror then you need to hunt this down.
Definitely something I wish would get some attention, super cool to have a female horror author writing this in the 1910's.
If you are up for some pulp horror then you need to hunt this down.
December 8, 2024
As others have stated, about halfway through the story, there's an unusual change from an adventure story in the vein of Jules Vern or Robert Louis Stevenson to sort of a mystery or thriller. It's jolting enough that I found myself disoriented all the way to the end and the end probably should have been a gut punch. This book didn't work for me, but I give it credit for trying something different.
dnf
March 23, 2021DNF at page 115.
Losing the one element I cared about in this story made me realise how much I detest the writing and don't care about anything else that's going on. It's a shame really, because the Tlapallan plot was really interesting and the mystery is intriguing. I'll probably look up the ending and see what it was all about.
Losing the one element I cared about in this story made me realise how much I detest the writing and don't care about anything else that's going on. It's a shame really, because the Tlapallan plot was really interesting and the mystery is intriguing. I'll probably look up the ending and see what it was all about.
August 14, 2018
This book gets four stars because it so far exceeded my expectations. It is an exquisitely strange pulp fantasy.
Many free public domain epub editions lack the final third of the book, seemingly by mistake; a complete version is available on Librivox.
Many free public domain epub editions lack the final third of the book, seemingly by mistake; a complete version is available on Librivox.
December 1, 2019
Written in 1916 under a pseudonym by a female writer. Interesting ideas and not badly written. Always interesting to look into the past writing styles and modes of thoughts. Best analysis in book group was that this offered a very early conceptualization of genetic engineering.
March 12, 2018
A 1918 classic by an once popular author of the Pulps such as Argosy, now largely forgotten. Some of his yarns are really still great reads, this novella starts well, but shows its age.
Read
October 3, 2021Audible edition. Gave it a shot, but it never sparked my interest. Fortunately it was free.
October 14, 2022
Had some good end of chapter cliffhangers but the story was just ok.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2023
Very well-written and extremely enjoyable. Hard to believe it was authored over 100 years ago!
April 10, 2024
Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YjJo...
June 14, 2025
amazing. ono kad imaš kolegij na kojem actually čitaš zabavne knjige. mindblowing.
(again, read for Time and Empire in American Lit.)
(again, read for Time and Empire in American Lit.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews